“The essence of the Buddha’s teaching is that we all have the same capacity for compassion and peace. A life of connection and authenticity can come completely alive for us now. Discovering that our hearts are indeed wide enough to embrace the whole world of experience—both pleasurable and painful—is the basis of extraordinary freedom and happiness.” 

Sharon Salzberg started her practice in 1971 and her teaching in 1974. “I knew from the first moment that meditation was important, and have never stopped.  It forms the basis of integrity, connection and compassion in my life.”

One of America’s leading spiritual teachers and authors, Sharon Salzberg is cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) in Barre, Massachusetts. She has played a crucial role in bringing Asian meditation practices to the West. The ancient Buddhist practices of vipassana (mindfulness)and metta (lovingkindness) are the foundations of her work.

Born in New York City in 1952, Sharon Salzber experienced a childhood involving considerable loss and turmoil.

An early realization of the power of meditation to overcome personal suffering determined her life direction. Her teaching and writing now communicates that power to a worldwide audience of practitioners. She offers non-sectarian retreat and study opportunities for participants from widely diverse backgrounds.

In 1976, she established, together with Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield, the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) in Barre, Massachusetts, which now ranks as one of the most prominent and active meditation centers in the Western world. Sharon and Joseph Goldstein expanded their vision in 1989 by co-founding the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies (BCBS). In 1998, they initiated the Forest Refuge, a long-term retreat center secluded in a wooded area on IMS property. Sharon resides in Barre, Massachusetts, and New York City.

Sharon has also emerged as a featured speaker and teacher at a wide variety of events. She served as a panelist with the Dalai Lama and leading scientists at the 2005 Mind and Life Investigating the Mind Conference in Washington, DC. She also coordinated the meditation faculty for the 2005 Mind and Life Summer Institute, an intensive five-day meeting to advance research on the intersection of meditation and the cognitive and behavioral sciences. She is currently a contributing editor of Oprah’s O Magazine, and has appeared in Time Magazine, Yoga Journal, msnbc.com, Tricycle, Real Simple, Body & Soul, Mirabella, Good Housekeeping, Self, Buddhadharma, More and Shambhala Sun, as well as on a variety of radio programs.

For more info on Sharon's work, books, tapes, etc:  www.sharonsalzberg.com

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